COMPLIANT PERIMETER END EFFECTORS
Various examples are provided related to end effectors for use in, e.g., automation of sewing robots. In one example, among others, a compliant perimeter end effector includes a mounting bracket having a contact mounting flange, a plurality of compliant material contact elements coupled about a perimeter of the contact mounting flange. The mounting bracket can couple to a manipulator including, e.g., an industrial robot or other manipulation assembly. The compliant material contact elements can include a contact interface that can engage with a piece of material. The compliant material contact elements can precisely transfer material on a workspace with surface irregularities while equally distributing force to the material.
This application is a continuation-in-part application claiming priority to, and the benefit of, co-pending U.S. provisional application entitled “Compliant Perimeter End Effectors” having Ser. No. 16/889,275, filed Jun. 1, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDIn automated production of sewn materials, improper handling of the material by robotic end effectors to manipulate materials on a worksurface can result in production of out-of-spec products, which has an immediate economic impact. For example, slip between the material being sewn and the end effector controlling the movement of the material can produce flawed and unacceptable product. Material slip can be especially prevalent for products with non-slip or high friction backings (as is common in mats and rugs) as the end effector must apply substantially more force to the product to move it across a worksurface.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.
The accompanying drawings illustrate various examples of systems, methods, and embodiments of various other aspects of the disclosure. Any person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. It may be that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of one element may be implemented as an external component in another, and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive descriptions are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Disclosed herein are various examples related to end effectors for use in, e.g., automation of the production of sewn products. For example, compliant material contact elements can be arranged around a perimeter of the end effector to grip and hold the material during processing. Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numbers indicate like parts throughout the several views.
The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.
It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the preferred systems and methods are now described.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which example embodiments are shown. Embodiments of the claims may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The examples set forth herein are non-limiting examples and are merely examples among other possible examples.
Referring to
The robotic system 102 can grip a piece of product material and move it about a work area utilizing the material mover(s) 116. For example, an end effector 130 can be moved by a manipulator 132 to engage with a piece of material and manipulate its position and/or orientation for processing by the robotic system 102. When the desired processing of the material is complete, movement of the end effector 130 can transport the material out of the work area. The end effector 130 can then be repositioned by the manipulator 132 to engage with another piece of material. The piece of material can then be manipulated for processing by the robotic system 102. This automated motion can be very beneficial in many repetitive processes.
The processor 104 can be configured to decode and execute any instructions received from one or more other electronic devices or servers. The processor can include one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., INTEL® or Advanced Micro Devices® (AMD) microprocessors) and/or one or more special purpose processors (e.g., digital signal processors or Xilinx® System on Chip (SOC) field programmable gate array (FPGA) processor). The processor 104 may be configured to execute one or more computer-readable program instructions, such as program instructions to carry out any of the functions described in this description.
The Memory 106 can include, but is not limited to, fixed (hard) drives, magnetic tape, floppy diskettes, optical disks, Compact Disc Read-Only Memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories, such as ROMs, Random Access Memories (RAMs), Programmable Read-Only Memories (PROMs), Erasable PROMs (EPROMs), Electrically Erasable PROMs (EEPROMs), flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. The Memory 106 can comprise one or more modules (e.g., operational control(s) 126) that can be implemented as a program executable by processor(s) 104.
The interface(s) or HMI 108 can accept inputs from users, provide outputs to the users, or may perform both the actions. In one case, a user can interact with the interface(s) using one or more user-interactive objects and devices. The user-interactive objects and devices may comprise user input buttons, switches, knobs, levers, keys, trackballs, touchpads, cameras, microphones, motion sensors, heat sensors, inertial sensors, touch sensors, visual indications (e.g., indicator lights, meters, or screens), audio indications (e.g., bells, buzzers, etc.) or a combination of the above. Further, the interface(s) can either be implemented as a command line interface (CLI), a graphical user interface (GUI), a voice interface, or a web-based user-interface, at element 108. The interface(s) can also include combinations of physical and/or electronic interfaces, which can be designed based upon the environmental setting or application.
The input/output devices or I/O devices 110 of the robotic system 102 can comprise components used to facilitate connections of the processor 104 to other devices such as, e.g., sewing device 114, material mover(s) 116, secondary operation device(s) 118 and/or vision device(s) 120 and can comprise one or more serial, parallel, small system interface (SCSI), universal serial bus (USB), IEEE 1394 (i.e. Firewire™) connection elements or other appropriate connection elements.
The networking device(s) 112 of the robotic system 102 can comprise the various components used to transmit and/or receive data over a network. The networking device(s) 112 can include a device that can communicate both inputs and outputs, for instance, a modulator/demodulator (i.e. modem), a radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) transceiver, a telephonic interface, a bridge, a router, as well as a network card, etc.
The sewing device 114 of the robotic system 102 facilitates sewing the product materials together and can be configured to sew a perimeter, along markings on the product material, or other paths based on tracking a generated pattern. In additional embodiments, the sewing device 114 can include a knife device in order to cut threads, stitches, materials from the workpiece, etc. The material mover(s) 116 of the robotic system 102 can facilitate moving the product material(s) during the cutting and sewing operations, at element 116. The secondary operation device(s) 118 can include stacking device(s), folding device(s), label manipulation device(s), and/or other device(s) that assist with the preparation, making and/or finishing of the sewn product.
The vision device(s) 120 of the robotic system 102 can facilitate detecting the movement of the product material(s) and inspecting the product material(s) for defects and/or discrepancies before, during of after a sewing and cutting operation or other process operation. Further, the vision device(s) 120 can facilitate detecting markings on the product before cutting or sewing the material. A vision device 120 can comprise, but is not limited to, an RBG camera, RGB-D camera, near IR camera, time of flight camera, Internet protocol (IP) camera, light-field camera, monorail camera, multiplane camera, rapatronic camera, stereo camera, still camera, thermal imaging camera, acoustic camera, rangefinder camera, etc., at element 120. The RGB-D camera is a digital camera that can provide color (RGB) and depth information for pixels in an image.
The local interface 122 of the robotic system 102 can be, for example, but not limited to, one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections, as is known in the art. The local interface 122 can have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, to enable communications. Further, the local interface 122 can include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications among the components, at element 122.
As shown in
Referring now to
The connector 209 can be attached to the contact mounting flange 206 by screws, bolts, rivets, or other appropriate fasteners. For example, the fastener can pass through the flange and engage with the connector 209 or pass through the connector and engage with the contact mounting flange 206. In other implementations, the connector 209 can be bonded to (e.g., welded, glued, etc.) or integrally formed with the contact mounting flange 206. In some embodiments, the mounting flange can be attached directly to the manipulator 132 by screws, bolts, or other appropriate fasteners or through a threaded connection in the contact mounting flange 209 without including a connector 209.
As shown in
A plurality of compliant material contact elements 212 configured to engage with a piece of material can be mounted around a perimeter of the contact mounting flange 206. The compliant material contact elements 212 provide spring like members that allow the applied force (or load) to be more evenly distributed around the perimeter of the piece of material. The shape of the contact mounting flange 206 and the arrangement of the contact elements 212 can vary depending upon the application and material being handled by the end effector 200. For example, while the shape of the contact mounting flange 206 illustrated in
In other embodiments of compliant material contact elements 212, compliance can be achieved with the assistance of a spring, as opposed to relying on the flexure of the flexure arms 215. In these embodiments, the flexure arms can be hinged, with spring elements applying a force to impart rotation about that hinge. Alternately, the gripping unit 218 could be spring loaded directly (e.g., straight down). In these embodiments, the gripping unit can comprise one or more spring-loaded pin(s) that contact the piece of material.
In the example of
By having a plurality of compliant material contact elements 212 distributed around the contact mounting flange 206, the compliant material contact elements 212 can independently move (e.g., deflect, bend, or twist), which can avoid pinching of the material between the worksurface and the end effector due to surface variations. For instance, the independent deflection of the compliant material contact elements 212 can compensate for height variations that may be present in the worksurface or material. In the example of
Stiffness of the flexure arms 215 can also be varied between the individual compliant material contact elements 212 around the contact mounting flange 206. For example, the width or thickness of the flexure arms 215 can be varied to adjust the stiffness of the compliant material contact elements 212 at different locations. In some embodiments, the flexure arms 215 can include composite materials or combinations of materials that can provide a desired deflection profile. For example, distributions of carbon fibers can be used to provide the desired deflection characteristics. The flexure arms 215 can also comprise layers of different materials to achieve specific tension and/or compression characteristics. Shims (or strips) can also be added onto the flexure arms 215 of a compliant material contact element 212 to increase the stiffness. Different types of flexure arms 215 can be used at different locations across the contact element 212 to provide a varying contact force across the contact interface 221.
As illustrated in
Referring now to
As shown in
A plurality of compliant material contact elements 312 configured to engage with a piece of material can be mounted around a perimeter of the contact mounting flange 306. The compliant material contact elements 312 provide spring like members that allow the applied force (or load) to be more evenly distributed around the perimeter of the piece of material.
The contact interface 321 can be smooth as illustrated in
In the example of
By having a plurality of compliant material contact elements 312 distributed around the contact mounting flange 306, the compliant material contact elements 312 can independently move (e.g., deflect, bend, or twist). This motion or flexibility can allow the contact interface of the end effector to better conform with any surface height variations in the workpiece or the worksurface, reducing the variation of force applied by the end effector to the workpiece at any given point. More consistent force application can prevent the loss of grip by the end effector in relative low areas of the workpiece or worksurface, and excessive force or damage to the workpiece in relative high areas of the workpiece or worksurface. In the example of
Stiffness of the flexure arms 315 can also be varied between the individual compliant material contact elements 312 around the contact mounting flange 306. For example, the width or thickness of the flexure arms 315 can be varied to adjust the stiffness of the compliant material contact elements 312 at different locations. In some embodiments, the flexure arms 315 can include composite materials or combinations of materials that can provide a desired deflection profile. For example, distributions of carbon fibers can be used to provide the desired deflection characteristics. The flexure arms 315 can also comprise layers of different materials to achieve specific tension and/or compression characteristics. Shims (or strips) can also be added onto the flexure arms 315 of a compliant material contact element 312 to increase the stiffness. Different types of flexure arms 315 can be used at different locations across the contact element 312 to provide a varying contact force across the contact interface 321.
As illustrated in
In other embodiments, the gripping unit 318 can include a contact plate 219 with a contact interface 221 that engages with the piece of material as described with respect to
Referring now to
As shown in
In
In other embodiments, contact element openings 410 can be included within a central or internal portion of the contact mounting flange 406 away from the perimeter. For example, compliant material contact elements 412 can extend through openings in the contact mounting flange 406 surrounding the connector 409 (e.g., through the openings in the contact mounting flange 306 in
The contact element openings 410 can be sized and shaped to allow one or more gripping unit 418 to pass through the contact element opening 410. For example, the flexure arms 415 can extend along a top surface of the contact mounting flange 406 with the gripping unit 418 extending through the contact element opening 410 as shown in
In the example of
In some embodiments, the compliant material contact elements 412 can be integrally formed in the contact mounting flange 406. For example, the contact mounting flange 406 can comprise a plate that is cut, etched, or otherwise machined to form one or more flexure arm(s) 415 and a gripping unit 418 in a contact element opening in the plate. In this way, the flexure arm(s) 415 are integral to the contact mounting flange 406. The gripping unit 418 at the end of the flexure arm(s) 415 can be bent to provide the contact interface 421 for engagement with the material. In this way, the flexure arm(s) 415 are located within the contact element opening 410. In some cases, the flexure arm(s) 415 can be bent downward to extend below the contact element opening 410. In other embodiments, the flexure arm(s) 415 can be formed in the contact mounting flange 406 and the gripping unit attached to the end of the flexure arm(s) 415. For example, a contact pad can be attached using appropriate fasteners.
By having a plurality of compliant material contact elements 412 distributed about the contact mounting flange 406, the compliant material contact elements 412 can independently move (e.g., deflect, bend, or twist). This motion or flexibility can allow the contact interface of the end effector to better conform with any surface height variations in the workpiece or the worksurface, reducing the variation of force applied by the end effector to the workpiece at any given point. More consistent force application can prevent the loss of grip by the end effector in relative low areas of the workpiece or worksurface, and excessive force or damage to the workpiece in relative high areas of the workpiece or worksurface. In the example of
Stiffness of the flexure arms 415 can also be varied between the individual compliant material contact elements 412 about the contact mounting flange 406. For example, the width or thickness of the flexure arms 415 can be varied to adjust the stiffness of the compliant material contact elements 412 at different locations. In some embodiments, the flexure arms 415 can include composite materials or combinations of materials that can provide a desired deflection profile. For example, distributions of carbon fibers can be used to provide the desired deflection characteristics. The flexure arms 415 can also comprise layers of different materials to achieve specific tension and/or compression characteristics. Additional elements (e.g., shims or strips of other materials) can also be added onto the flexure arms 415 of a compliant material contact element 412 to achieve a desired stiffness. Different types of flexure arms 415 can be used at different locations across the contact element 412 to provide a varying contact force across the contact interface 421.
In other embodiments of compliant material contact elements, compliance can be achieved with the assistance of a spring or gravity, as opposed to relying on the flexure of the flexure arms 415. For example, the compliant material contact elements can comprise one or more spring-loaded pin(s) that contact the piece of material. Compliant material contact element 212/312/412 can also comprise a hinged bracket with a mass at on the end of the bracket or on the gripping unit 418. The weight of the mass can provide the force applied to the material. In other embodiments, the hinged bracket can be spring loaded to provide the downward force or can include a combination of mass and spring loading. In alternative implementations, the compliant material contact element 212/312/412 can include a contact interface 421 coupled to one or more linear guide(s). For example, linear rails mounted on brackets attached to the contact mounting flange 406 can be connected to a contact plate with a contact interface 421 (e.g., a blade or linear array of teeth) that engages with the material. Springs can be used to control the force applied to the material through the contact interface 421 while allowing the contact interface 421 to adjust its position along its linear travel. Other forms of guided linear motion are equally possible. While these embodiments are described using springs to provide the contact force, pneumatics can also be used in the place of, or in combination with, the springs.
As shown in
In
By having a plurality of compliant material contact elements 512 distributed about the contact mounting flange 506, the compliant material contact elements 512 can independently move (e.g., deflect). This motion or flexibility can allow the pins 521 to better conform with any surface height variations in the workpiece or the worksurface, reducing the variation of force applied by the end effector to the workpiece at any given point. With the movement of the pins 521 constrained by the housing 518, stretching and pulling of the material can be minimized or eliminated. In the example of
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.
The term “substantially” is meant to permit deviations from the descriptive term that don't negatively impact the intended purpose. Descriptive terms are implicitly understood to be modified by the word substantially, even if the term is not explicitly modified by the word substantially.
It should be noted that ratios, concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used for convenience and brevity, and thus, should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. To illustrate, a concentration range of “about 0.1% to about 5%” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited concentration of about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %, but also include individual concentrations (e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the sub-ranges (e.g., 0.5%, 1.1%, 2.2%, 3.3%, and 4.4%) within the indicated range. The term “about” can include traditional rounding according to significant figures of numerical values. In addition, the phrase “about ‘x’ to ‘y’” includes “about ‘x’ to about ‘y’”.
Claims
1. A compliant perimeter end effector, comprising:
- a mounting bracket having a contact mounting flange, the mounting bracket configured to couple to a manipulator; and
- a plurality of compliant material contact elements comprising individual contact elements coupled about the contact mounting flange, wherein each of individual contact elements comprises a gripping unit having a contact interface configured to engage with a piece of material, the gripping unit coupled to the contact mounting flange.
2. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 1, wherein the individual contact elements comprise at least one flexure arm extending between the gripping unit and the contact mounting flange.
3. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 2, wherein the individual contact elements extend through openings in the contact mounting flange.
4. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of compliant material contact elements are located adjacent to a perimeter of the contact mounting flange.
5. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 3, wherein the gripping unit of the individual contact elements extends through the corresponding opening.
6. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 3, wherein the gripping unit comprises a contact plate comprising the contact interface, the contact plate attached to the at least one flexure arm and extending through a corresponding opening.
7. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 6, wherein the at least one flexure arm extends substantially perpendicular to the contact plate.
8. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 7, wherein the contact plate extends between first and second flexure arms.
9. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 6, wherein the contact interface comprises teeth or serrations extending across the contact plate.
10. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 6, wherein the contact plate comprises a contact pad forming the contact interface, the contact pad attached to the contact plate.
11. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 3, wherein the at least one flexure arm extends through the corresponding opening.
12. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 2, wherein the at least one flexure arm is substantially parallel with the contact mounting flange.
13. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 1, wherein the individual contact elements are integrally formed with the contact mounting flange.
14. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 13, wherein the gripping unit of the individual contact elements comprises a contact plate comprising the contact interface, the contact plate integrally formed with the at least one flexure arm.
15. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 1, wherein the individual contact elements comprise at least one spring-loaded pin extending between the gripping unit and the contact mounting flange.
16. A compliant perimeter end effector, comprising:
- a mounting bracket having a contact mounting flange, the mounting bracket configured to couple to a manipulator; and
- a plurality of compliant material contact elements comprising individual contact elements coupled about the contact mounting flange, wherein each of individual contact elements comprises: a pin having a contact interface configured to engage with a piece of material; and a spring engaged with the pin and configured to provide a contact force to the pin.
17. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of compliant material contact elements are located adjacent to a perimeter of the contact mounting flange.
18. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 17, wherein a second portion of the plurality of compliant material contact elements are distributed about a center of the contact mounting flange.
19. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 16, wherein the spring is engaged with a proximal end of the pin opposite the contact interface.
20. The compliant perimeter end effector of claim 16, wherein the contact interface is textured.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 27, 2021
Publication Date: Dec 2, 2021
Patent Grant number: 12157222
Inventors: D. Keith Appel (Chapin, SC), Michael J. Baker (Acworth, GA), Luther Lloyd (Dallas, GA)
Application Number: 17/241,411